National Geographic Photographer Michael Melford has produced over 30 stories for National Geographic Traveler magazine, including eight covers. Born in New York, Michael received a bachelor’s in photography from Syracuse University, and started his early career in New York City in 1977.
His past ten years have been spent mostly on assignment for the National Geographic magazine, celebrating the marvels of our National Parks (Acadia, Glenn Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Waterton/Glacier, and Death Valley). This has included working to preserve their beauty, as in the October 2006 cover article, "Places We Must Save", where he traveled to 14 of our U.S. National Parks looking for issues to improve upon. In 2012 he photographed what will become Delaware’s first National Park, beautifully located in the Brandywine River Valley, and in 2013 he’ll be on assignment in New Zealand celebrating the wonders of National Parks in that part of the world.
Other National Geographic stories include: "Saving Civil War Battlefields," "King Herod: Architect of the Holy Land," "Glen Canyon Revealed," and "Russian Kronotsky Preserve: Let it Be." Michael has also produced photography for eight National Geographic books. This includes three on Alaska, his favorite of them: Hidden Alaska-Bristol Bay and Beyond.
Though his photographs have received many awards, Michael prefers to remain humble and share his knowledge and love of nature along with his sense of humor, on our Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyages.
When not shooting for National Geographic, Michael enjoys his time on the quiet coast of Mystic, Connecticut.
